Scientists create insulin pill for diabetics

Health & Wellbeing

A small capsule could change how we take some medications

Spotted: A team of scientists have developed a special capsule for diabetics, which could replace insulin injections. The key to the capsule is its design — inspired by the shell of an African leopard tortoise. The capsule has high, rounded sides that guarantee it can flip over if it lands upside down. This is important because it ensures the medicine is delivered correctly. The flat bottom keeps it in position once it lands.

The pill is small, about the size of a blueberry, making it easy to swallow. The capsule contains a small biodegradable needle made of compressed insulin. Once in place, it releases the insulin. The mechanism was a eureka moment for scientists, who realised the humidity of the stomach would dissolve the disk of sugar used to hold the needle in place until it reached the stomach lining.

Takeaway:

Currently diabetics give themselves insulin shots, sometimes multiple times a day, to control sugar levels. Shots are painful and create barriers for people to get the medicine they need. But this capsule could change that. The team has already successfully tried capsules containing insulin on pigs. The dose was comparable with what human diabetics receive from injections, they said. It will take three years for the capsule to be tested on humans, however. But the design has the potential to radically change how we take medication, from insulin to vaccinations. Danish Novo Nordisk funded the research and is considering clinical trials using the capsule for drugs to treat obesity, haemophilia, and as growth hormones. The new method could have significant ramifications for drugs like insulin, hormones and vaccinations.